(1) Explain your problem, don't simply post "This isn't working". What were you doing when you faced the problem? What have you tried to resolve - did you look for a solution using "Search" ? Has it happened just once or several times?
(2) It's also good to get feedback when a solution is found, return to the original post to explain how it was resolved so that more people can also use the results.
I just posted a new article: ‘The Benefits of Recognizing Projects as Investments: “And Yet, It Moves!” ’
You can find it here.
I recently had a disagreement in a discussion group with an individual who was quite insistent that projects are not investments. This person, seemingly a victim of very high cognitive barriers, was insistent that the only acceptable definitions and techniques are those that are sanctified by their inclusion in the PMBOK® Guide. I happen to disagree. I particularly disagree with the idea that every project is not, first and foremost, an investment.
In the linked article, I explain why all projects are investments, and also enumerate some of the benefits that an amended definition would generate for organizations, projects, project managers and the Project Management Institute.
Fraternally in project management,
Steve the Bajan
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Steve, there are people and companies that understand and do it. But their number is small and most of them are in Russia. There are language, cultural and other barriers between Russian and English speaking worlds, so many methods and tools used in Russia are not known abroad. I try to speak about them at the International conferences but rarely meet full understanding.
It looks like there is a problem with understanding the goals of project management. It looks like triple constraint is understood as an ultimate goal, people do not look further. It is necessary to teach people (and especially top management) right approach to project management and I admire your work in this direction.
Best Regards,
Vladimir
Hi, Vladimir. It's possible you are correct.
In the blog article, oneof the (two) definitions that I quote is:
"An act of devoting time, effort, or energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result."
I also list some of the possible valuable goals of a project:
· Future cost savings;
· Garnering votes;
· Prosecuting criminals;
· Saving lives; or
· Any other of dozens of efforts intended to create a valuable result.
Yet you may be right -- perhaps people think investments are only about money. If so, it's a sad commentary, especially for supposedly educated people.
Not only, as you say, if "the project brings nothing it should not start", but if it brings less than it will cost, or less than could be gotten by less risky means, it should not start. Additionally, the difference between the expected value of the project and the expected remaining cost should be the prime metric for project execution. Decisions/expenditures that maximize that difference are (almost always) good project decisions.
But perhaps the only way people will understand this is if they start seeing projects as investments, and tracking themas such through the DIPP and the DPI. And that probably has to come from senior management.
What is sad is that, as I understand from you, Spider Project is the one package that, out of the box, has all the functionality to deal with all this -- but no one understands how to do it!
Fraternally in project management,
Steve the Bajan
Fraternally in project management,
Steve the Bajan
Steve, any project shall bring some benefits.
It could be money, it could be health, social, political or any other kinds of benefits.
If the project brings nothing it should not start.
Maybe people do not agree because they do not understand that investment and profit metrics do not always mean money only?
Email: PPadmin@planningplanet.com
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